Transcending the Nine Heavens

Tie Butian almost wanted to cradle her head in pain.

Who’s a man like you?

Don’t say it in such a… such a… you know!

With a troubled expression and a frown, she said, “Minister Chu, Brother Chu, I… Since I was young, I’ve always adhered strictly to the old teachings and held myself with great restraint. I have never… So, hurhur… When it comes to more intimate… physical contact, it’s a little… hard for me to accept. When I say it like this, is Brother Chu able to show me some understanding?”

Chu Yang replied tactlessly, “What’s the big deal? We’re both men, it’ll be fine once you get used to it.”

As he spoke, he reached over to hold him again.

Tie Butian took another step back. “Brother Chu, please give me… some time to get used to it. How does that sound?”

As though his spirits had been dampened, Chu Yang replied, “Fine, I’ll give you some time.”

Relief went through Tie Butian. However, the next moment, she heard Chu Yang say, “I don’t have any plans for this period of time anyway, so I’ll just stay here with you for a year or more and wait for you to get used to it.”

Tie Butian’s jaw dropped. “Huh? A year or more?”

“Yes.” Chu Yang replied very sincerely, “Brother Tie, you don’t even know how I’ve been dreaming of the way we faced each other with absolute sincerity back then and worked together to create these great achievements! Whenever I think of that, I would be filled with surging agitation! Wishing I could reunite with you and drink to our hearts’ content and chat with candor. I frequently wonder just how great that would feel.”

Tie Butian took a breath of air. “Indeed.” Her memories of the past were also brought back by him.

Chu Yang said somewhat emotionally, “Your Majesty, us brothers haven’t seen each other for a few years. Let’s get together and enjoy ourselves this time around. I’m not going to leave even if you chase me away. I’m determined to have a hearty drink with you! Us brothers shall not stop until we’re drunk! Also, I hear that there’s a hot spring in the palace?”

There was a look of yearning on Chu Yang’s face. He went on with enthusiasm, “After we drink, us brothers shall have a soak in the hot spring together and face each other with nothing between us! Haha, surely Your Majesty won’t be embarrassed, right?”

Tie Butian’s face was deathly pale. She almost lost her balance. “Soak… in the hot spring together?”

“Yes!” Chu Yang burst into laughter. “And when it’s night-time, us brothers can also share the same bed and pour our hearts out to each other! I really mean it, I’ve missed you a lot these past few years.”

“Share… the same bed?” Tie Butian was staggering.

“Yes! Under the same blanket!” Chu Yang elaborated openly. “Don’t worry, I won’t take up much of your time, haha… It won’t interfere with your time with your beautiful royal consorts… hehehe…”

As he spoke, Minister Chu gave him a very indecent and surreptitious look. “You know!”

I know that I want to kill this shameless fellow!

Tie Butian snapped furiously in her heart, unable to do anything about it for the time being.

Chu Yang was already rubbing his hands very enthusiastically. “I say, Your Majesty, this old friend of yours has also arrived for quite some time. Surely you should show me some hospitality? No matter what, we ought to have a good meal, right?”

“Oh yeah, where’s Senior Sister Disciple Qianqian?” Chu Yang said, “Is she in the inner palaces? Ha, of course, it’s no longer appropriate for her to be coming out here after becoming the Empress. You… won’t be jealous about this, right?”

Tie Butian was taken aback. She had been wondering about that too; did Qianqian manage to find Chu Yang after going to the Upper Three Heavens?

However, when she heard what he said, she understood immediately. It seemed like they hadn’t met up with each other yet.

She couldn’t help but feel somehow relieved. Smiling, she said, “Brother Chu came from afar, of course, I’ll have to be a good host. But… Brother Chu, did you actually think that this palace is not going to have food and wine for you? That we have to specially prepare a meal? Hurhur…”

Chu Yang smacked his forehead. “Right, how silly of me. Sigh, I’m too used to going around the world alone…”

Tie Butian gave him a slight smile. “As for the Empress… cough…”

Suddenly, she became rather hesitant.

How should she say it?

Wu Qianqian had already gone to the Upper Three Heavens to look for Chu Yang. After leaving here, as long as he headed to the Upper Three Heavens, they would be able to meet. Therefore, she couldn’t tell him things like ‘the Empress has already passed away’.

But if she didn’t, how was she to explain the fact that Wu Qianqian was not in the palace now?

Left with no choice, she could only change the topic. “Come, Brother Chu, let’s have a meal and let us drink to our hearts’ content.”

Chu Yang let out a sneaky laugh. “Deal!” Chu Yang chuckled. “Alright!”

Side by side, the two of them walked out.

With demons in both their hearts, they actually didn’t really talk the entire way there.

There were still quite a few ministers milling around outside the great hall. Tie Butian was quick to decree that morning court assembly was to be canceled for three days! And that she would be refusing audiences with anyone.

In a nutshell, what she meant was —”Don’t come and bother me if there’s nothing important. Even if there is, don’t come and bother me anyway!”

But immediately after she issued the decree, Tie Butian was full of regrets.

Am I mad? It’s so obvious that I canceled the morning court assembly so that I could accompany this shameless fellow… But how am I supposed to do that?

He’s always touching me without any warning, and even wanted to drink until we’re drunk? And… face each other with nothing between us? And even… share the same bed?

This is going to kill me.

At a stone table in the imperial garden.

The area where they were boasted a wide field of view; there were no obstructions in the view of the surroundings, and they were on high ground too. Tie Butian had specially chosen this place to have a drink with Chu Yang. In here, where they were in full view of so many people, surely he couldn’t pretend to be drunk and act disgracefully?

However, the emperor had clearly underestimated how thick-skinned Chu Yang could be.

After three rounds of wine and five rounds of dishes, Minister Chu was clearly starting to slur and his eyes had also become somewhat blurry. He spoke about all sorts of things with great enthusiasm; when he reached points of climax, he even got to his feet and gesticulated wildly.

Tie Butian sighed inwardly.

In the past, when they were together, circumstances were tense and they were constantly facing situations where life and death were separated by a mere thin line, so there weren’t many chances for them to drink. It was only today that she discovered that Chu Yang’s capacity for liquor was really… not very impressive.

“Your Majesty, do you still remember Diwu Qingrou?” Chu Yang downed another three to four cups of wine. It was apparent that the Lord Minister was in a very good mood. He was very merry and his desire to converse was sky-high.

“Diwu Qingrou? What’s up with him?”

“Diwu Qingrou, you know! Our great battle back then…” Minister Chu was obviously drunk, swaying to and fro as he narrated.

Around them, the imperial maids on duty watched the emperor’s strange guest with an odd look. All of them were sporting rather deep frowns. How could one behave in such a raucous manner in the imperial palace? How did His Majesty come to have this kind of friend?

Right at this point, a drunken Chu Yang waved a maid over. He commanded, “You, come here! Fill my cup!”

With a wine jar in her hands, the maid hurried over upon command. However, when she bent over to refill the cup, Minister Chu suddenly pinched her cheek and stroked her face, which elicited a yelp from her.

Chu Yang snickered weirdly and rubbed his fingers together, holding them up to his nose and taking a sniff. “Smells so nice, and so smooth, haha…”

All at once, Tie Butian became so infuriated that her whole face was red. She slammed her palm against the table. “What are you doing?!”

Chu Yang glanced at her and with an air of surprise, he replied, “Your Majesty, I say, my brother, what is the matter with you? It’s just an insignificant little imperial maid, what’s the big deal?”

A furious Tie Butian retorted, “How is outraging the modesty of women and children the ways of a hero?”

“F*ck them heroes!” Chu Yang snorted. “Your Majesty, hehe, you’re already the Emperor now. You have so many royal consorts and peerless beauties in your inner palaces… Hehe, your brothers fought so hard in so many bloody battles to conquer this empire for you… But even all the way till now, I’m still a lonely bachelor!”

Tie Butian was stunned.

“We’re not jealous even if you get to enjoy all these… But surely the Emperor should sympathize with us too?” Slurring, the drunk Chu Yang went on, “Or are you saying that you really bear to be so heartless? Do you know how long a lonesome life I’ve led? When I’m eating, the pots and stove are cold; when I’m sleeping, it’s so lonely in my bed that it’s hard to get to sleep!”

His breath was filled with the stench of alcohol. “Whereas you’re living the life, being waited upon by so many peerless beauties. All I did was pinch this little girl’s cheek and you’re already so displeased?”

Tie Butian’s countenance darkened significantly. “Brother Chu, you know I don’t mean it that way.”

“I’m just joking, look at how worked up you are.” Chu Yang’s attitude changed lightning quick. Tie Butian’s sudden indignation, fury and censure earlier had all entered his observation.

Her infuriation earlier was definitely not because of a subordinate teasing an imperial maid. It was more hysterical… She must have been jealous…

Yeah, jealous? As long as you don’t surrender to me, I will make you even more jealous!

“We’re almost done here. Let’s go have a dip in the hot spring.” Minister Chu rose to his feet.

“I… suddenly feel a little dizzy,” said Tie Butian. “I’ll get the servants to bring you over. I’m going back to rest a little.”

“Dizzy? It’s fine, you’ll feel better after you go into the hot spring,” replied Chu Yang as he waved his hand dismissively. “Actually, I frequently have giddy spells too. But the moment you take off all your clothes and soak stark naked in the hot spring, you’ll feel much better! Let’s go, let’s go. Your Majesty, you must trust me. You need a companion during hot spring sessions; chatting while soaking in a hot spring feels really good!”

Tie Butian groaned non-stop in her heart.

Feels really good? If I were to really soak in it with you… Then you’ll really be feeling very good… Scoundrel!

“Mm, it’s like this.” With a swivel of her eyes, Tie Butian said, “Brother Chu, it’s like this — I just got a son, mm. Every day, the little fellow will want me to accompany him during his afternoon nap. Right now, he might already be panicking and acting up. Hurhur, the little fellow has a pretty big temper… Parents, sigh. It’s tough being parents.”

Chu Yang’s eyes brightened at once. There was actually a dazzling glint in his eyes for a moment there. “Really? If so, I definitely have to go and take a look, haha… Brother Tie, a child that comes from you is definitely a good one.”

Tie Butian grumbled inwardly, “What do you mean by ‘a child that comes from you is definitely a good one’?”

However, her puzzlement was immediately crushed by panic. Tie Butian was thrown into a huge panic.

My god, he wants to see the child! What should I do?

She almost couldn’t stop herself from giving herself a tight slap.

Who told you to speak without thinking and not choose your words carefully!

Look what has happened now, we’re in trouble!

If Chu Yang saw that the child looked exactly like him, how would he not be suspicious?

“Come, come, come… Let’s go and take a look!” Chu Yang was in high spirits. “Isn’t your child mine too? How can I not take a look at my child? Haha… Bring me to see the little fellow. I even brought a fair number of gifts…”

Tie Butian was even more bewildered.

“Isn’t your child mine too? How can I not take a look at my child?”? These words of his… No matter how I think about it… It still sounds so wrong.

“It’s not that I want to say this but Brother Tie, you’re really quick. It’s only been so long and you already have a child…” An increasingly enthusiastic Chu Yang dragged Tie Butian off.